Enjoy Wine, Food, and Travel with Karl MyWinePal
The Bodega Catena Zapata winery is masterful at producing top-quality Malbec wines in Argentina. I was fortunate to attend an online wine tasting of three Malbecs recently released by the winery. The wine tasting was led by Marina Castillo, Export Manager for Catena Zapata. About Bodega Catena Zapata and Their Vineyards Marina gave us some background information such as the…
If someone asks you for a wine from Argentina, they would probably mention a bottle of Malbec, from a producer, such as Catena, Norton, or Luigi Bosca, but did you know that this red grape originally comes from the Bordeaux and Cahors regions in France? It is a permitted blending grape in Bordeaux, but it had a hard time ripening,…
I’ve always been a fan of the wines from Bodega Catena Zapata in Argentina for a long time. I was first introduced to their wines when I was part of the South World Wine Society in Vancouver. I did not know much about Argentina or Malbec, but I learned a lot as part of the Society. So it was a…
While I was at the Vancouver International Wine Festival 2020 I had the opportunity to interview Laura Catena, managing director of Bodega Catena Zapata, in Argentina. Plus she is a medical doctor and an author. So many skills. And a very interesting person. I am currently working on transcribing my interview with Laura and should have it for you shortly,…
Although France was the theme country this year at the Vancouver International Wine Festival, there was a great contingent of wineries from around the world and from BC to pour their wines for us. Below are wines that I enjoyed from countries other than France. Enjoy! White and Sparkling Wines Cantine Giacomo Montresor Rose Royal Brut NV, Italy – Light…
What is meant by a “Cru” in wine? The term “Cru” is most often used for the French classification system, but the “Cru” concept can apply to any vineyard region recognized for their superior wine quality. My last seminar during the Vancouver International Wine Festival was on the topic of “cru”. What it is and how it is expressed. We…
Did you know that at the Festival Tasting room for the Vancouver International Wine Festival this year there will be 700 wines for you to try? France is the theme country and there will be 42 French wineries pouring their wines for you. This is very exciting as there will be wines from Champagne, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Alsace and more to…
One of the coolest things about VanWineFest is that each winery represented at the Festival has to bring a winery principal, who could be the owner or a family member, or their winemaker. When you ask them to pour you a glass of their wine at the Festival tasting room, you can ask them about that wine: How was it…
Certain regions of the world are well-known for producing exceptional wines. Burgundy producing Pinot Noir, or Napa Valley producing Cabernet Sauvignon for example. There is usually something about their terroir that brings out the best of their grapes, which then makes it into the wines. What is it about Argentina that makes Malbec special? There are a few factors: altitude,…
If you want to taste top-shelf wine from around the world, attend Top Drop Vancouver. I’ve attended the last two years and can vouch for the wines that you will enjoy. Here is my review of last year’s event: Top Drop Vancouver 2017 – An Authentic Experience And here is the announcement of the upcoming Top Drop event, along with…
